House committee rejects car cellphone regulationsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A dashboard video showing a state trooper narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a driver who was using a cellphone wasn't enough to sway an Arkansas House committee that tougher laws are needed. The Public Transportation Committee voted 11-7 on Tuesday against a bill that would have prohibited people from using cellphones without hands-free devices to dial a phone number, use social media or utilize a map application wh...

Hutchinson signs measure expanding computer science classesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has signed into law a measure requiring public high schools to offer computer science courses in the coming school year. Hutchinson signed the bill Tuesday, following through on a campaign promise he says was inspired by his 12-year-old granddaughter learning computer coding. Hutchinson, a Republican, was elected in November. The new law gives districts the option of offering the courses in-perso...

House panel to consider Robert E. Lee memorial dayLITTLE ROCK (AP) — An Arkansas lawmaker plans to revive an attempt to separate the state's practice of honoring civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on the same day by creating a memorial day for Lee. A similar bill failed twice to advance out of the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee after an outpouring of public comment from people who said the change belittles southern heritage. De...

Lawsuit filed over state takeover of Little Rock schoolsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Three former Little Rock School Board members and a resident are suing Arkansas Education Commissioner Tony Wood and the state Board of Education in an effort to overturn the state takeover of the Little Rock district. The lawsuit was filed Friday in Pulaski County Circuit Court on behalf of former board members Dianne Curry, Jim Ross and C.E. McAdoo and resident Doris Pendleton. The state board had no authority to take over...

Officials warn of canceled highway projectsLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Voter-approved proposals have helped Arkansas weather declines in state and federal highway funding, and transportation officials are working with state lawmakers on a long-term solution before the proposals expire and projects stall. The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department has increased spending by nearly 70 percent from 2008 to 2013, according to the Federal Highway Administration's annual highway statisti...

Huckabee's challenge: Reaching beyond cultural conservativesWOODSTOCK, Ga. (AP) — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee travels the country in a bus adorned with his smiling face and the cover of his latest book. But the ordained Baptist minister and potential 2016 presidential candidate makes it clear that he's interested in more than best-seller lists. "I think everyone understands where this is headed," Huckabee said after signing books in metro Atlanta. After all, he joked, he didn't recently leave hi...

University president opposes highway funding billLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The president of the Arkansas State University System says a bill to compensate for dwindling highway maintenance and construction funding would be "catastrophic" for higher education in the state. Charles Welch told the system Board of Trustees on Friday that he opposed the bill approved a day earlier by the House Public Transportation Committee. The measure would gradually divert the money from the state's general re...

German steel company to buy vacant buildingOSCEOLA (AP) — The Osceola City Council agreed on the proposed sale of a vacant building to the German steel company SMS. The council voted Thursday to sell the $12 million factory that was opened by German-based steel company Beckmann Volmer in 2011, The Jonesboro Sun reported. SMS would complement the Big River Steel mill that is expected to open in Osceola within the next few years. SMS expects to supply $600 million of steel mill equipment...

Justices hear arguments on lethal injection lawLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A case that examines whether a 2013 law gives the state's correction department too much authority in setting lethal-injection protocol is now before the Arkansas Supreme Court. The court on Thursday heard oral arguments from an assistant state attorney general and a lawyer representing nine death-row inmates. Pulaski County Judge Wendell Griffen last year put lethal injections on hold in the state. He said the law stipulati...

House members support abortion medicine restrictionLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to a measure that would ban doctors from remotely distributing abortion pills and advanced another proposal allowing for felony battery charges to be lodged against someone who harms an unborn child. Banning the delivery of abortion pills through telemedicine was the top legislative priority for anti-abortion groups this year, with Republicans in all key state offices. Gov. Asa...

Lawmakers order schools to teach cursive writingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — All that's needed to return cursive writing classes to Arkansas classrooms is a signature by Gov. Asa Hutchinson — and if he signs it, it will probably be in cursive. The state Senate on Thursday gave final legislative approval to a bill requiring public schools to teach cursive to students by the end of the third grade. Several districts dropped handwriting courses after Arkansas adopted tougher standards for mathematics an...

Proposal to divert money to Arkansas highways advancesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A plan to eventually divert more than a half-billion dollars in tax revenue coming from auto sales and other car-related items to Arkansas' highways advanced to a House vote Thursday, raising objections from Gov. Asa Hutchinson and advocacy groups who say the move would threaten other state needs. The House Public Transportation Committee endorsed the proposal, which would gradually divert the money from the state's general ...

House supports repeal of fluoridation requirementLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas water providers could opt-out of providing cavity-fighting fluoride under a bill passed by the state House. Members voted 60-34 Thursday and sent to the Senate a bill to roll back a 2011 law requiring municipalities, rural water systems and other providers that serve more than 5,000 residents to put fluoride in the water supply. The state Department of Health and Arkansas Children's Hospital oppose the bill. Opponen...

Senate gives final OK to computer science classesLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The Arkansas Senate has given final approval to a bill that would direct all high schools in the state to offer a class in computer science. The bill passed on a 32-0 vote Thursday and gives Gov. Asa Hutchinson another legislative victory. He had promoted high school computer science courses since early in his gubernatorial campaign last year. Hutchinson said he was pleased and that he was hopeful Arkansas would be a nationa...

Lawsuit that claimed excessive force by police dismissedLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that alleging four policemen, including former Little Rock police officer Josh Hastings, used excessive force while conducting an arrest. Cedric McSwain's claimed that Hastings, Sherwood police officer Kevin Webb, and Arkansas State Police Troopers Hunter Glover and Brad Lann beat him when he was walking home from a birthday party. He also said the officers conspired to arrest him even...

Russellville City Council tells engineer to move forward on O Street designThe Russellville City Council instructed Public Works Director and City Engineer Kurt Jones move forward with surveying work and a final design of the O Street project during Thursday’s meeting at City Hall. Jones presented updated designs to aldermen during the Finance Committee meeting that showed the complete-street project going to the Reasoner-Parker Road intersection. The council reviewed a design during its Feb. 10 Finance Committee tha...

Lawyers to judge: Allow Arkansas gay marriages to resumeLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Lawyers for gay couples challenging Arkansas' voter-approved same-sex marriage ban told a federal judge Wednesday she should allow such nuptials to resume in the state. Citing recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions not to delay similar cases from other states, the Arkansas lawyers told Judge Kristine Baker that couples are suffering continuing harm by not being allowed to marry. They said that after a ruling against anti-gay-ma...

House panel supports disbanding lottery commissionLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers are ready to scratch the lottery commission from the list of state decision makers. A bill to shift responsibility for Arkansas' struggling lottery from the independent nine-member commission to a governor appointee cleared a committee Wednesday. No member of the House Rules Committee voted against the measure and no one spoke against it. If the bill becomes law, the state Department of Finance and Adminis...

Hutchinson outlines $33M plan to ease prison overcrowdingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday proposed tapping more than $33 million in state reserve funds to ease a backlog of state inmates at county jails by opening new prison space, hiring additional parole officers and expanding alternative sentencing programs. The Republican governor said the plan would open 790 new beds, including 288 at a county jail Arkansas would contract with in neighboring Texas, for the more than ...